Frame construction for road machines



July 18, 1933. F. D. WILSON FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR ROAD MACHINES med 7. Ha /Z6010,

K M M J 15 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 6, 1932 July 18, 1933. F D I N 1,918,881

FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR ROAD MACHINES I Filed Feb. 6, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 [rave/ail? Treat-7]. 20 646070,

7/MOE5W F. D. WILSON 1,918,881

FRAME CONSTRUCTION FOR ROAD MACHINES Filed Feb. 6, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet. a

July 18, 1933.

Patented July 18, 1933 umrao STATES PATENT OFFICE 1111) I). wnaoir, OI mVEY, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO AUSTIN MANUFACTURING ('10., O1 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS I'I-AIE CONSTRUCTION FOR ROAD MACHINEEY Application filed February 8, 1932; Serial No. 591,361.

' vide a novel frame construction adapted to house considerable of the operating mechanism inside the-rails and beneath the cover plate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel reenforced frameconstruotion provided with side rails and top and bottom plates rigidly connected together. This type of construction adds considerablev to the strength of the frame and provides, a frame construction in which the weight of .theroad working tool, and especially when operating .in a position laterally of and to one side of the frame, is carried by both rails, reenforced by the upper and lower plate construction.

. In the prior constructions, when the blade is operating to one side of the frame, the rail on that side of the frame carries the major portion, and in some instances substantially all of the .weight of the blade assembly.

Still another object of the invention-is to rovide .a frame construction having a plate ridging the rails and extending from the front to adjacent the rear axle, and providing an operators station or platform at the rear of the frame from which the operator has a clear, unobstructed view of the road and the operation of the road working tool. In the present construction and arrangement,

. the frame is relatively narrow and thus the 'operators view ofthe road and road working tool is considerably greater than 'is'possible with prior constructions.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a constructlon of maximum snnplicty, efliciency, economy and ease of assemblyand operation, and such further objects, ad-

vantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed .thereby.

The invention further. resides! in the coni- 1 bination, construction and arrangements of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and while there is shown therein a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible ofmodification and change, and comprehends other details and constructions without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the road machine provided with the novel frame contruction.

Fig.2 is a top plan view of the machine with the blade positioned at an angle opposite to that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view'in rear elevation of the road machine. v

Fig. 4 is a view in verticalcross section taken in a plane represented by the line 4-4 of Fi 1.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawings,"the road machine is pro vided with a frame 1 mounted at its forward end upon a steerable truck 2 having front steering wheels 3, and at its rear end. provided with a truck 4 provided with wheels 5. The

frame construction 1 comprises spaced side rails 6 having an u per interrupted plate comprising sections 7 and 7 and a lower plate 8,"the side rails and upper and lower plates being rigidly connected together by means of welding or other suitable connectin means. As clearly disclosed in Fig. 2, the si e rails for the greater portion of their length are parallel to provide an elongated frame resembling arectangulantubularhousing, therails, top and bottom plates, at their forward ends merging and therailsand bottom plate at their rearward e'nd. diverging'or widening, the bottom plate stopping short of, and the rails being'mounted .onthe reartruckt' Aplatform or o erators station 9 having opeposite side mem ers 10, is 'pivotally connected at its forward end to the opposite side'rails and is mounted on spring a seating on a brack st or bar I) spanningthe side rails 6. This platform or operators station extends above the rear axle assembly, and the operator has available from this platform or station the various Operating mechanisms for steering 1 and for manipulating the road working tool assembly.

To the forward truck 2 is connected a draft tongue 11 whereby the road machine may be drawn by; any. suitable means. Locatedbelow the main frame 1 is a bladecarrying frame 12 having its front end 13 pivotally, mounted upon a pin (not disclosed) so as to permit substantial universal movement of the frame 12 and its blade assembly. Rotatively mounted below the frame is a circle 14 provided with brackets or arms 15 adapted to carry the blade or road working tool 16. In order to rotate the circle 14, the outer circumference thereof is provided with an annular rack 17 meshing with a pinion 18 mounted on a shaft 19. Adjacent the upper end of the shaft 19 is mounted a bevel gear 20 meshing with a bevel gear 21 upon a shaft 22 adapted to be rotated by a hand wheel 23.

- By manual operation of the hand wheel 23 the pinion 18 rotates the rack 17 and the blade carrying circle so as to position the blade 16 in any desired angle transverse of the machine. I

In order to raise or lower the frame 12 and the blade assembly or to position it to. one side or the other of the machine,the frame 12 is mounted upon a cross arm 24 which is pivotally connected to an. adjustable, telebeing mounted in a bearing bracket 28 and the other within a housing 29. Each housing 29-is provided with suitable gear mechanism adapted to rotate the shaft 27-and the bell crank26 in either direction upon rotation of either of the hand wheels 30. Thus by proper manipulation of the hand wheels 30, either or both sides of the blade assembly and frame 12 may be raised or lowered, as desired.

In order to shift the blade assembly and frame 12 laterally of the main frame, a tail frame 31is remo'vably connected at 32 to the frame12, the other end of the tail-frame being provided with an arm 33 adapted to be telescopically received in the tail frame. The enlarged-end or casting 34 on the end of this arm is universallymounted on a sleeve (not shown); slidably positioned on arod 36 mounted in bearingv .or s end plates 37. The

" sleeve is 'at tached' to a; cable passing over pulleys 38 mounted at opposite sides of the machine adjacent the end plates 37.- This .cable is likewise attached to a ratchet mechanism'. 39 whereby the sleeve, arm 33 and tail frame 31 may be adjusted or moved laterally of the machine.

In order to lock this tail ,frame in an adjusted position, there is pro- .videda bar (not shown) having spaced notches adapted to interlock with a rib or projection on thecasting 34. This bar is pivoted and adapted to be moved into locked 01" sitioned to one side of the machine as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3, there is provided a lifting chain 42 which is mounted on the bell crank '26 and has its other end attached to a bracket or lug formed on the cross arm 24 adj acent the end thereof, and on the side opposite from the bell crank to which the other end of the chain is attached. Thus when the blade assemblyis in such adjusted position, the chain is snubbed around the lifting shaft 27. A turn buckle. 43 permits adjustment of the length ofjthis chain. It is to be understood that the position of the chain may be reversed, depending on to which side of the machine the bladeassemblyhas been adjusted. A

The bearing bracket 28 extends across and is mounted upon the top plate 7 of the frame and is rigidly positioned or mounted thereon by means of a strap 44 passing under the frame assembly and contacting with the lower plate 8. This bracket construction may be suitably connected together as by means of welding or the like.

i In order to steer the front truck 2 and the frame assembly to the front truck. This steering wheel45 and the hand wheel 23 for rotating the circle 14'are'mounte'd upon an wheels 3, there is provided a steering wheel 45 mounted upon a shaft 46 passing through upright or bracket 47 suitably mounted upon the platform 9. .Each hand 'wlieel 30 and gear housing 29 is likewise mounted-upon an upright or'br acket 48 suitably connected to the side rails 6 as by means of bolts or the like 49.

The frame 1 may be shifted upon the rear truck whenever desired. The mechanism for performing this operation comprises a rack .50 mounted upon the rearaxle 51. Suitable worm and gear mechanism (not shown) in the housing 52 are adaptedto be manually operated by a crank 53. This crank 53 and worm and gear mechanism are mounted on a cross arm 54 at the rear of the frame, whereby whenever the crank is rotated to operate the mechanism, a gear in said mechanism being in meshing engagement with the rack, will shift the frame laterally of the rear axle and retain the samein such adjusted position until the worm and gear mechanism s again manually operated.

The rear wheels 5 are'mounted upon-stub shafts connected to a vertical member" 55,

each member 55 being pivotally'conn'ectedto the rear axle 51 and 'aconnecting rod-'56.

.This construction permits the rear wheels to be leaned by the operation of the "handle 57 whenever desired. Likewise, the front wheels may be leaned by suitable mechanism (not disclosed).

From the above description and the disclosure in the drawings, it will be readily seen that the invention comprehends a novel construction of main frame for a. road machine which provides a more rigid construction than frames now being employed and permits a clear view of the road and operation of the road working tool.

Having thus disclosed the invention,

I claim:

1. In a road machine provided with a road working tool, a frame therefor comprising side rails, a plate bridging said rails throughout substantially their entire extent and a platform for the operator connected at its forward end to the opposite side rails adjacent an end of said frame.

2. In a road machine provided with a road working tool, a frame therefor comprising side rails and a. plate bridging said rails throughout substantially their entire extent, said rails being parallel throughout the greater port-ion of their extent and diverging adjacent the rear thereof, and an operators station connected to said frame between the side rails thereof.

3. In a road machine provided with a road working tool, a frame therefor comprising side rails and a plate bridging said rails throughout substantially their entire extent, a platform for the operator at the rear of said frame and connected at the forward end to opposite side rails of said frame, and

operating mechanism for said machine and tool mounted on said frame at the rear thereof and adjacent said platform, whereby the operator positioned on the platform can control the operation of the machine and tool.

4. In a road machine provided with a road working tool, a frame therefor formed as a tubular member of rectangular cross section for a portion of its length, the distance between the side portions at their rear greatly exceeding the distance elsewhere along the frame.

5. In a road machine provided with a road working tool, a frame therefor rovided with spaced side rails and a plate ridging said rails throughout substantially their entire extent and rigidly connected thereto, said rails being parallel thrmwhnut the greater portion of their extent and relatively close together throughout such extent, and diverging adjacent their rear end so that the distance intermediate the rails at such rear end greatly exceeds the distance between the rails elsewhere along the frame.

6. In a road machine, a frame therefor comprising side rails merging at their front end, then extending parallel for the major portion of their length and at their rear end being spaced for a distance greatly exceeding the distance elsewhere along the frame, and plates mounted on and bridging said rails throughout substantially their entire extent to provide an enclosed frame construction.

7. In a road machine provided with a front and rear truck and a road working tool, a frame therefor comprising side rails carried by said trucks and reenforcing plates mounted on and brid ing said rails throughout substantially their entire extent to provide an enclosed frame construction, and steering mechanism for said machine housed within said frame.

8. In a road machine, a frame, an axle, an operators latform supported by said frame, and a wor ing tool also supported by said frame and constructed and arranged to be positioned to one side thereof, the portion of said frame between the platform and the tool being formed as a rectangular tubular section so constructed and arranged as to provide minimum interference with visibility of the tool from the platform, one end of the frame adjacent said platform being engaged with said axle, said end greatly exceeding in width the aforesaid portion of the frame, and so constructed and arranged as to stabilize the frame upon said axle.

9. In a road machine provided with a front and rear truck and a road working tool, a frame therefor bridging said trucks and formed as a tubular member of rectangular cross section for the greater portion of its length, said frame forming a housing for the steering mechanism for said machine.

FRED D. WILSON. 

